PANAJI
In a survey conducted of 3000 households in the State, it was discovered that while 19% of households did not have a toilet, 24% did not use the toilet, and preferred answering nature’s call in the open.
The “livelihood survey” conducted by the Forum for Integrated Development and Research (FIDR) covered rural, urban and semi-urban households, and was conducted with a view to maximise the quality of lives of Goans through a forum called the “Goa Livelihoods Forum.” The total findings of the survey will be released later this month.
Said noted filmmaker Dharmanand Vernekar, who is also an advisor to the Forum, “We are attempting to improve the quality of lives in Goa.” Vernekar explained that the issues of livelihoods and migration affected all peoples’ lives. The Forum, through surveys and interactions with citizens on how to improve the quality of life in the state, attempts to arrest the “migration” issue that is prominent especially amongst Goa’s youth who look to greener pastures for jobs and better lives.
The GLF will examine the role of civil society organisations to provide citizens with better access to State schemes. Explained Charudutta Panigrahi, the mentor of FIDR, “Goa is one of India’s most progressive states, and it is easier to improve livelihoods in Goa because many Goans are working towards self-actualisation.” (A reference to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.)
“With Goa,” said Panigrahi, “We will work towards improving the Gross Happiness Index of people, which is why we have to work on how to improve the livelihoods of people.”
Meanwhile, Siddhartha Behera, the director of FIDR, explained that the Forum was already working with states like AP, Odisha, Haryana, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Karnataka. The meeting of Goa stakeholders held in the city a couple of days ago was held with the view of getting ideas from citizens on how to go forward with the project of raising Goa’s Happiness Index. However, the interesting finding of the percentage of toilet users in the sample population reveals that Goa as a whole still has a long way to Goa.
